Electric switch



May 29, 1928.

A. H. NERO ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Jan. 30. 1922 INVENTOR HRV/D H. NERO A TTORNEYS.

Patented May 29,

Vunirsi) STATI-:s

PATENT OFFICE.

ABVID E. N EEO, OF N EWBBITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB T TEE ARROW ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF EABTFOBID, CONNECTICUT, .A CORPORATION OI' CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

'appimuon inea January so, im. semi in. saam.

My invention relates to electric switches, and particularly to switches for controlling lighting systems and light electrical equipment. It will be r'dily recognized that the 6 switch may be constructed for handling currents of large capacity, if so desired. Vari-v ous features of improvement are hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which y I Fig. 1 is a lplan view of a surface swltch in which my invention .is embodied in one form;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1; Eig.. 3 is a side elevation of the switch 15 mechanism and Supporting frame attached; Fig. 4 is a broken section on the line 4-4.-, Fig. 3; and. Fig. 5 is a plan of the blank from which the switch frame is'formed. y While certain features of the presentimprovements may be applied to switchesof other ty es, I have illustrated the invention in a sur ace toggle switch, to which certain features of construction are particularly ap- !5 plicable., As indicated, the switch comprises a circular insulating base 6 recessed on its upper face to afford a central depressed area 7 on which .the switch mechanlsm 1s supported. A peripheral ledge 8 affords a seat v:se for the switch cover 9 and its insulating lining 10, while .the up-standing plateaus 11 on op osite sides of the de ressions 7, are latera ly engaged by the si es ofthe cover and prevent its lateral displacementl on the at base.

The base is pierced by holes 12, 13, 14 and 15 to accommodate the lead wires, while adjacent these apertures are located on the plateaus 11 the combined wire and switch terminals 16, 17,18 and 19, each having a base 20 and an lip-standinglug ierced to receive -a binding screw 21. oles 22 through the base accommodate screws by which Ait may be secured on any suitable support.' Ii refer to arrange the binding screw ,1 stan ards in planes substantially radial to the axis of the base, with the binding screws of the terminals coacting with each switch blade, faced toward each other. This arra ement prevents theobstruction of the bin ing screws by adjacent switches where the latter are mounted in gangs.

As will be noted, each plateau 11 is stepped to afford' an upper level a and a lower level bi i The terminals on the upper levels a. are provided with contact Wings 23 angled upv terminals, (though the contacts must be olfset in oppositedirections) but also lessens lthe amount of metal required for the terminals, since the mounting of the latter on the upper and lower plateau levels lessens the necessary vlength of the contact lugs While still maintaining their requisite. spac-` ing from the switch'blades in the open-circuit position of the switch.` v y Each terminal plate 2() is secured to the insulating base 6 by a screw 25 adjacent the wire Aterminal standard, and by av second screw 26 adjacent the contact flange. -These screws not only holdthe terminal plate firmly on the insulating base, but are arranged to stand to best advantage the strains put upon the terminal on the one handby the manipulation of theA binding screw 21, and on the other hand by the engagement of the switch blades with the contacts.

The switch mechanism is mounted on a frame struck from sheet metal andan led to shape, and comprises a pair of space A- shaped standards 27 and 28 united at their bases by. webs 29 and 30. The latter are pierced at 31 to receive the securing screws 32 which pa upthrouh theibase 6. The upper ends of t e stan ardsaire pierced in register at 33 to afford a bearing for the switch operating lever, while lu s 34 areoutwardly offset and rounded to orm beari studs on which the switch yoke is ivote The simple blank for the switch illustrated in Fig. 5, andthe economies resulting from its orm will be ap arent from the fact that itsshape is suci that only rame is verl little waste results in striking it from a p ate or -stri of sheet metal. dies are readi y made.

The switch yoke 35 carries the switch blades 36 and 37 which are insulated there.- from by washers 38. The blades are lield in position by the U-shape brackets 39, the tlanges 40 of which bear lthrough washer plates, against the insulation 38, while the The Aforming `legs 41 of the brackets are passed through spacer therefor.

the parts and are swaged over the outer face of the yoke arms 35 to hold the ,parts rigidly assembled. The bridge elements of the brackets are to be slotted at 42 to afford open bearings which rest upon the trunnion flanges 84 of the frame. Inasmuch as the oke straddles the frame and the brackets hear against the outer faces of the standards 27 and 28, they serve to prevent the standards from separat-ing under `lateral strains on the operating lever in a directionv at an angle to its normal plane of oscillation.

The operating lever comprises a tubular section 43 slotted at its inner end to receive a plate-like extension 44 to which it is riveted by depressing at 45 the metal of the legs of the tubular section 43 into suitable apertures in a plate-like member 44, as clearly Shown in Fig. 2. The plate-like extension 44 of the lever is arranged between the standards 27 and 28 of the frame and serves as a It also is provided with laterally extending lugs 46 which take into the bearing apertures 33 atthe head ot the standards 27 and 28. At its lower end the Vplate is provided with stop wings 47 engagmg the le s of the A-shaped standards 27 and 28, W ich thus limit the throw of the lever. At the same end of theplate 44 it is notched at 48 to form a bearing for the head 49 of the guide pin 50 for the switch spring 51 compressed between said head and the bridge element of the yoke 35 through a hole .52 in which the end of lthe guide pin passes. The plate 44 is also pierced at 53 to accommodate the side wings of the head 49 of the sprin guide pin in the angular position of the atter.

At its outer end the operating lever 43 is tapped to receive a screw 54, by which the o rating thumb piece 55- is held in position.

e o erating lever works in a dome 56 forme in the cover 9,the dome being slotted at 57 to permit of the angular movement of the lever. In order to close this slot against the entry of moisture and dirt to the switch chamber, I associate with the thumb piece 55 a 'shield 58 shaped to the curvature of the dome 56. The shield is pressed upon the dome by a coil spring 59 surrounding the stem of the screw 54 and engaged between the head of the screw and the bottom of the well 6() formed in the outer end of the thumb piece. The constant pressure ofthe spring 59 "holds the shield 58 in close engagement with the cover and thus not only maintains a practically water-tight joint between these parts, but also serves to maintain the cover irml upon the insulating base 6. The yiel in connection between the thumb liece 55 and the operating lever permits tlie thumb piece to slide longitudinally on the shank of the screw 54, so that it is not necessary that the dome 56 shouldhave a curvature such that its axis corresponds to the axis of oscillation of the operating lever 43, in order to maintain the shield 58 in close engagement with the dome at all times. This feature is of further advantage in that any shocks to which the thumb piece may be subjected, are not transmitted to the switch mechanism with resultant danger of injury thereto, but are taken up by the cover 9 and heavy insulating base G. This' is a matter of considerable importance when the switch is installed whereit is apt to have rough usuage-such for instance as upon the runner portion of a vacuum cleaner, where the usual practice is to operate the switch by means of the foot. It will be noted, furthermore, that while the throw of the .lever is limitedby the impingement of the webs 47 of'the plate 44 against the edges of the frame standards 27 and 28, the shield 58 also serves as a stop, bearing against the cover in the opposite extreme positions of the switch lever. and thus affording a direct mechanical engagement vbetween the lever and cover servingto prevent over-strain upon the switch frame and mechanism.

'lhe toggle operation ofthe switch is well understood in the art and need not be explained in detail.

The construction as a whole is simple, economical and extremely efficient in practice. While moditications in detail of construction will readily occur to those skilled in the art, such departures are not t0 be regarded as falling outside the scope of what I claim as my invention.

I claim- 1. In an electric switch, a switch operatin lever comprising a tubular member slotte at one end, and a plate-like extension of the lever entering said slot and riveted to the legs of the tubular member, said plate-like extension of the lever havin at its free end a lateral projection adapted to serve as a stop to limit the throw o the lever.

2. In an electric switch, a switch frame having spaced standards, a switch lever arranged between said standards and comprising a tubular member slotted at one end, a plate-like extensionof the lever entering said slot and secured to the legs of the tubular member, laterally projecting lugs on said plate-like member forming bearing studs journaled in the frame standards, and a lat! eral stop projection on the free end of the plate cooperating with the frame to limit the throw of the lever.

' 3. In an electric switch, an oscillating switch operating lever tapped at one end, a thumb piece arranged at said end, a screw passing through said thumb piece to secure the same to the lever, and a spring interposed between Said screw anvd'thumb piece to permit longitudinal play of said thumb piece lll passing throu h sald thumb piece to secure the same to t e lever, and a spring interposed between said screw and thumb piece to permit longitudinal play of said thumb piece with respect to the lever, in combina'- tion with a switch cover apertured to permit the oscillationr of the lever, said thumb piece having an associated shield overlying, the slot in the cover in all positions of the switch lever.

5. In an .electric switch, an oscillating. switch operating lever tapped at one end, a.

thumb piece arranged at said end, a screw passing throu h said thumb piece tosecure the same tot e lev'er, and a spring interposed between said screw and thumbpiece to permit longitudinal play of said thumb piece with respect to the lever, in combination with a switch cover havin a slotted curved portion through which lt e lever o rates, said thumb iece having an associat shield lshaped to t e curvature of the cover and,

overlying the slot in allpositions of the lever, said spring serving to constantly press ,l

`said shield against the cover. v

6. In an electric switch, a switch operatlng l lever pivoted for oscillation, and comprising a tubular member slotted at one end to received a plate-like extension and tapped at its opposite end, a thumb piece arranged at the latter end of the lever, a screw passingvfreely therethrough and taking into the tapped end of the operating lever, a spring en ged between the head of the screw an the thumb piece, and a switch cover curved and apertured at the curve to acommodate and permit oscillation of said lever element, said thumb piece being constantly pressed upon said coverby the action ofsaid s ring.

7. In an electric switch, an insu ating base, a switch mechanism mounted thereon and havin an oscillatin switch operating lever, a, s otted cover vo1` enclosing sai mechanism, and a thumb piece for said oscillating lever, said thumb piece overlying the cover, and a sprin connection between' 'said thumb piece and ever lserving to constantly press the `thumb piece against the cover to maintain the latter seated on the base. -f v In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. v

ABVID HNERo. 

